Horizontal wells formed in geological formations have become common, and constitute an architecture that is widely applied in the field. However, due to frictional pressure drops and reservoir permeability variations along the length of the well, the fluid flux can vary considerably, with higher injection and production flow rates typically at the heel.
Inflow Control Devices (ICD) have been used for years regulate flow rates by creating an additional pressure drop between the reservoir and the well. To improve the efficiency and longevity of ICD operation, their design should account for the fluid flow conditions in the vicinity of the wellbore, such as non-uniform pressure distribution. However, because the flow pattern around an ICD is complex, it has been noted in the industry that traditional approaches, those that make use of numerical modeling, or assuming an even inflow pressure along the whole completion length are often not accurate enough to satisfy the needs of commercial production, especially when annulus between the device and the formation is filled with sand.